1 00:00:00,320 --> 00:00:03,000 Speaker 1: Brought to you by the reinvented two thousand twelve Camray. 2 00:00:03,240 --> 00:00:09,840 Speaker 1: It's ready. Are you welcome to stump Mom Never told 3 00:00:09,840 --> 00:00:17,600 Speaker 1: you from house Stuff Works dot Com. Come on, welcome 4 00:00:17,640 --> 00:00:20,599 Speaker 1: to the podcast. This is Molly and I'm Kristen. Kristen 5 00:00:20,680 --> 00:00:23,920 Speaker 1: one of our old episodes and dealt with the question 6 00:00:24,760 --> 00:00:28,280 Speaker 1: is living together before marriage a good idea? I recall 7 00:00:28,400 --> 00:00:30,040 Speaker 1: that one yes, and it was all about you know, 8 00:00:30,080 --> 00:00:34,159 Speaker 1: if your ultimate goal is marriage, well, living together ruin it? 9 00:00:34,840 --> 00:00:38,000 Speaker 1: Will it make a marriage stronger? So on and so forth. 10 00:00:38,560 --> 00:00:41,800 Speaker 1: But one thing that often comes up. You'll see studies 11 00:00:41,840 --> 00:00:45,519 Speaker 1: about it all the time, headlines designed to scare you, 12 00:00:45,560 --> 00:00:48,960 Speaker 1: in my opinion, that say that when two people move 13 00:00:49,040 --> 00:00:53,400 Speaker 1: in together, they are destined to get fat. Yeah, it's 14 00:00:53,440 --> 00:00:55,320 Speaker 1: kind of like the love weight, and if you will 15 00:00:55,360 --> 00:00:57,920 Speaker 1: once you start, you know, you start dating someone, you 16 00:00:57,960 --> 00:01:02,080 Speaker 1: want to look really good first few dates, you know, 17 00:01:02,120 --> 00:01:05,640 Speaker 1: then then you become bf GF and then all of 18 00:01:05,680 --> 00:01:09,200 Speaker 1: a sudden you can't fit into your jeans right, And 19 00:01:09,240 --> 00:01:13,000 Speaker 1: they imply that, especially once you're living with someone and 20 00:01:13,160 --> 00:01:17,240 Speaker 1: you know, instead of going out for you know, dinners 21 00:01:17,440 --> 00:01:22,399 Speaker 1: and the like, you're ordering pizza every night. You're getting Chinese. Yeah, 22 00:01:22,560 --> 00:01:25,200 Speaker 1: you're coming front of the television. You're not out and 23 00:01:25,240 --> 00:01:29,199 Speaker 1: about doing dates anymore. Yeah, you're in a routine. You're cute. 24 00:01:29,200 --> 00:01:34,920 Speaker 1: Friday dress turns into Friday's sweatpants, Friday's moon moo Friday. Yes, 25 00:01:36,240 --> 00:01:38,759 Speaker 1: but okay, So let's say that you have been living 26 00:01:38,760 --> 00:01:41,360 Speaker 1: with someone, you've gained all your love weight, and now 27 00:01:41,440 --> 00:01:44,000 Speaker 1: you and your beloved are going to go on a 28 00:01:44,120 --> 00:01:48,440 Speaker 1: joint diet. Yeah, his HER's diet. You can lose weight together, right, 29 00:01:48,800 --> 00:01:51,760 Speaker 1: and we're saying we're saying his hers because the question 30 00:01:51,760 --> 00:01:57,400 Speaker 1: of today's episode is doo men lose weight faster than women? 31 00:01:57,840 --> 00:02:00,240 Speaker 1: Because there may be two women to living do other 32 00:02:00,320 --> 00:02:02,120 Speaker 1: there might be two guys let me together. But the 33 00:02:02,240 --> 00:02:05,840 Speaker 1: question of the day concerns men and women. And this 34 00:02:05,960 --> 00:02:09,560 Speaker 1: let's say these boyfriend girlfriend are going on the love 35 00:02:09,600 --> 00:02:13,200 Speaker 1: diet together. Yeah, ladies, you might get a little frustrated 36 00:02:13,240 --> 00:02:18,680 Speaker 1: if you try to go pound for pound with your BF, 37 00:02:19,320 --> 00:02:24,120 Speaker 1: because statistically speaking, he has a much better chance of 38 00:02:24,200 --> 00:02:30,320 Speaker 1: losing not only more weight than you, but more weight faster. So, yes, 39 00:02:30,360 --> 00:02:32,960 Speaker 1: today's podcast is going to be really frustrating for you 40 00:02:33,000 --> 00:02:35,799 Speaker 1: women out there. But before we get into the men 41 00:02:35,880 --> 00:02:39,079 Speaker 1: versus woman thing. I think it's frustrating to compare yourself 42 00:02:39,120 --> 00:02:41,720 Speaker 1: to anyone when you're trying to lose weight exactly because 43 00:02:41,760 --> 00:02:45,359 Speaker 1: we all lose weight differently and it's not always within 44 00:02:45,400 --> 00:02:47,760 Speaker 1: our control. Despite the fact that we think that weight 45 00:02:47,880 --> 00:02:51,000 Speaker 1: is something that you know, we can take off if 46 00:02:51,040 --> 00:02:53,760 Speaker 1: we just eat right and exercise, it's not true. And 47 00:02:53,800 --> 00:02:56,519 Speaker 1: that was highlighted by an article we found called why 48 00:02:56,560 --> 00:02:59,880 Speaker 1: Can't I Lose Weight? By Elaine McGee from web MD. 49 00:03:00,480 --> 00:03:03,560 Speaker 1: So let's talk about people who just can't seem to 50 00:03:03,639 --> 00:03:06,120 Speaker 1: take it off. Yeah, I mean, they're just gonna be 51 00:03:06,200 --> 00:03:11,000 Speaker 1: individual differences with how everyone loses weight. And I mean, 52 00:03:11,040 --> 00:03:13,280 Speaker 1: I think we should also preface this by saying, you know, 53 00:03:13,480 --> 00:03:16,440 Speaker 1: this is not everyone has to Well, this isn't me 54 00:03:16,480 --> 00:03:18,680 Speaker 1: and Molly saying that everyone needs to go out and 55 00:03:19,000 --> 00:03:22,560 Speaker 1: get on a treadmill or hop on, uh, get on 56 00:03:22,639 --> 00:03:25,600 Speaker 1: some kind of new fangled diet or anything like that. 57 00:03:25,720 --> 00:03:27,960 Speaker 1: But I think when you know when you want to 58 00:03:28,720 --> 00:03:31,560 Speaker 1: shed some pounds, I think it is important to arm 59 00:03:31,639 --> 00:03:34,680 Speaker 1: yourself with this kind of knowledge and know what to 60 00:03:34,840 --> 00:03:38,920 Speaker 1: expect from your body because everybody is a little bit different, 61 00:03:39,120 --> 00:03:43,680 Speaker 1: like snowflakes, like snowflakes, for instance. Um, some people have 62 00:03:44,320 --> 00:03:47,640 Speaker 1: low resting metabolic rates and some people have high resting 63 00:03:47,680 --> 00:03:51,240 Speaker 1: metabolic rates. In other words, some people's bodies simply burn 64 00:03:51,320 --> 00:03:55,280 Speaker 1: calories more efficiently than others. And according to one researcher 65 00:03:55,360 --> 00:03:58,200 Speaker 1: in this article from a m D, differences in those 66 00:03:58,200 --> 00:04:04,480 Speaker 1: metabolic rates can't explain up twenty two pounds of weight gain. Wow, 67 00:04:04,800 --> 00:04:08,880 Speaker 1: that's that's like three babies. I think here you birth 68 00:04:08,920 --> 00:04:13,320 Speaker 1: weights just from metabolic right, it's pretty significant. Um. And 69 00:04:13,360 --> 00:04:19,920 Speaker 1: then of course there are differences in how everyone experiences hunger, satisfaction, 70 00:04:20,040 --> 00:04:24,080 Speaker 1: and stress, because all those things are interrelated because you can, 71 00:04:24,440 --> 00:04:27,200 Speaker 1: you know, be on the treadmill or lifting weights or 72 00:04:27,240 --> 00:04:29,839 Speaker 1: doing whatever kind of exercise all day long. But of 73 00:04:29,880 --> 00:04:33,960 Speaker 1: course you've got to feed your body, you know. And uh, 74 00:04:34,560 --> 00:04:37,479 Speaker 1: and some people just have an easier time sticking to 75 00:04:38,200 --> 00:04:41,560 Speaker 1: a healthier diet than others might some people just have. 76 00:04:42,120 --> 00:04:44,960 Speaker 1: We did an episode on food cravings a long long 77 00:04:45,000 --> 00:04:48,280 Speaker 1: time ago, and as you'll learn if you listen to it, 78 00:04:48,400 --> 00:04:55,920 Speaker 1: food cravings are a pretty um intensive neurological thing that 79 00:04:56,000 --> 00:05:00,440 Speaker 1: happens to us that can be really really hard to silence. 80 00:05:00,480 --> 00:05:03,240 Speaker 1: And if you throw stress into that mix. It's just 81 00:05:03,360 --> 00:05:05,960 Speaker 1: you know you're gonna go running for those cupcakes or 82 00:05:06,000 --> 00:05:10,000 Speaker 1: those uh pizza roles, you know pretty pretty fast. Well, 83 00:05:10,000 --> 00:05:12,839 Speaker 1: and just stress in general, even if you're not stress eating, 84 00:05:12,920 --> 00:05:14,840 Speaker 1: it can it can take weight off, it can put 85 00:05:14,839 --> 00:05:19,240 Speaker 1: weight on seemingly by magic magic. Um, here's another thing. 86 00:05:19,279 --> 00:05:22,760 Speaker 1: Did you know that exercise and your desire to do 87 00:05:22,839 --> 00:05:26,479 Speaker 1: it might be controlled by a gene? Yeah? That this 88 00:05:26,560 --> 00:05:29,679 Speaker 1: was interesting, right. According to this researcher at the University 89 00:05:29,680 --> 00:05:34,720 Speaker 1: of North Carolina at Chapel Hill of an individual's propensity 90 00:05:34,800 --> 00:05:37,680 Speaker 1: for voluntary exercise might be due to a gene. And 91 00:05:37,720 --> 00:05:40,400 Speaker 1: the reason they know that is because in their labs 92 00:05:40,440 --> 00:05:44,039 Speaker 1: they have these mice that they genetically bred uh to 93 00:05:44,279 --> 00:05:48,040 Speaker 1: like running on wheels as myce myce doom creatures in 94 00:05:48,080 --> 00:05:51,400 Speaker 1: the mice family. And uh so they say that this 95 00:05:51,520 --> 00:05:54,799 Speaker 1: might be a new emerging field of research to see 96 00:05:54,839 --> 00:05:57,960 Speaker 1: if we can tinker with that gene and people to 97 00:05:58,040 --> 00:06:01,159 Speaker 1: get them to like exercise in And it's interesting you 98 00:06:01,200 --> 00:06:04,400 Speaker 1: say that because, for instance, uh, my sister and I 99 00:06:04,880 --> 00:06:08,960 Speaker 1: we are completely opposite in terms of exercise. I I 100 00:06:09,040 --> 00:06:13,080 Speaker 1: really enjoy exercise and I needed to to keep me sane, 101 00:06:13,200 --> 00:06:17,640 Speaker 1: whereas it's bit's pulling teeth for her. She just doesn't 102 00:06:18,160 --> 00:06:20,880 Speaker 1: doesn't like it. So maybe I don't know, maybe that's 103 00:06:20,920 --> 00:06:24,600 Speaker 1: that's some kind of genetic difference between us. I don't know. 104 00:06:24,680 --> 00:06:29,800 Speaker 1: But there's also UM preliminary, preliminary research on whether or 105 00:06:29,880 --> 00:06:34,799 Speaker 1: not UM your mother's diet while uh she was pregnant 106 00:06:34,839 --> 00:06:38,120 Speaker 1: with you has an impact on your weight if she's supposedly, 107 00:06:38,120 --> 00:06:42,160 Speaker 1: if she ate a high fat diet while she was pregnant, UM, 108 00:06:42,160 --> 00:06:48,279 Speaker 1: it might predict weight gain or excessive weight as you age. 109 00:06:48,360 --> 00:06:51,039 Speaker 1: And then also the food you ate as a toddler 110 00:06:51,560 --> 00:06:55,120 Speaker 1: might affect how you gain weight as an adult. Basically, 111 00:06:55,720 --> 00:06:59,080 Speaker 1: the healthier the diet that you were raised on than 112 00:06:59,120 --> 00:07:04,120 Speaker 1: the healthier the adult you emerge, supposedly, So thanks for 113 00:07:04,160 --> 00:07:08,120 Speaker 1: reading all those crispy cream donuts mom, you when you 114 00:07:08,160 --> 00:07:11,480 Speaker 1: were so yeah, I mean, the the what we're trying 115 00:07:11,480 --> 00:07:13,360 Speaker 1: to stay here is that we have all of these 116 00:07:13,480 --> 00:07:18,520 Speaker 1: variables already tossed into the mix. And now let's talk 117 00:07:18,520 --> 00:07:22,080 Speaker 1: about gender, the heart of our argument and in fact 118 00:07:22,080 --> 00:07:24,840 Speaker 1: makes up one of the largest sections of McGee's article 119 00:07:24,880 --> 00:07:28,040 Speaker 1: on web Empty. And you know it's not I don't 120 00:07:28,080 --> 00:07:30,440 Speaker 1: think these any of these will come as a shocker 121 00:07:30,440 --> 00:07:32,760 Speaker 1: to anyone, But I think that when you're on a 122 00:07:32,840 --> 00:07:35,000 Speaker 1: diet or when you're trying to lose weight, you can 123 00:07:35,040 --> 00:07:37,600 Speaker 1: get so tunnel focused on that number on the scale 124 00:07:37,720 --> 00:07:40,600 Speaker 1: that it's important to remember, Like, just don't don't compare 125 00:07:40,640 --> 00:07:44,680 Speaker 1: yourself to other people. We're all different. First of all, 126 00:07:45,120 --> 00:07:49,960 Speaker 1: men have more muscle mass. Yes, men naturally have more muscle. 127 00:07:50,040 --> 00:07:54,559 Speaker 1: They're built to be larger and leaner than us women, 128 00:07:54,640 --> 00:07:57,720 Speaker 1: who have more fat tissue on our body. And since 129 00:07:57,800 --> 00:08:03,280 Speaker 1: men have more muscle us, that means they simply burn 130 00:08:03,800 --> 00:08:09,320 Speaker 1: more calories faster, right, It just burns, burns more calories 131 00:08:09,360 --> 00:08:12,880 Speaker 1: at all times, at rest and exercise. And so you know, 132 00:08:12,960 --> 00:08:14,880 Speaker 1: one tip that they do give women over and over 133 00:08:14,920 --> 00:08:17,960 Speaker 1: again is don't be afraid to do weight training. Don't 134 00:08:17,960 --> 00:08:21,200 Speaker 1: be afraid to lift really heavy weights, because your body 135 00:08:21,280 --> 00:08:24,080 Speaker 1: is not designed to get that muscular but building up 136 00:08:24,080 --> 00:08:26,640 Speaker 1: your muscle will help you get more of that resting 137 00:08:26,720 --> 00:08:30,920 Speaker 1: calorie burn. Right, because even even at rest, men's metabolic 138 00:08:31,000 --> 00:08:33,640 Speaker 1: rates tend to be a lot higher than women's just 139 00:08:33,720 --> 00:08:37,680 Speaker 1: because of that difference in ratio between muscle tissue versus 140 00:08:38,200 --> 00:08:41,080 Speaker 1: fat tissue. Now, when we get into the fat tissue, 141 00:08:41,160 --> 00:08:44,800 Speaker 1: men and Women store their fat in different places and 142 00:08:45,080 --> 00:08:49,040 Speaker 1: burn it differently when they're drawing on energy from their body. 143 00:08:49,120 --> 00:08:51,000 Speaker 1: And this is where we come to something I like 144 00:08:51,080 --> 00:08:55,480 Speaker 1: to call apples and payers. Um. Basically, men tend to 145 00:08:55,640 --> 00:08:59,000 Speaker 1: gain their weight in the mid section, in their belly 146 00:08:59,520 --> 00:09:04,880 Speaker 1: and they form shapely little apples when they when they expand, 147 00:09:05,880 --> 00:09:09,439 Speaker 1: and women tend to turn into pairs because we deposit 148 00:09:09,800 --> 00:09:12,560 Speaker 1: our extra body weight in our hips, on legs and 149 00:09:12,640 --> 00:09:16,320 Speaker 1: are behind. Christie, if you could be described as any fruit, 150 00:09:16,400 --> 00:09:20,160 Speaker 1: what fruit would you want to be described as? Um? Papaya? Okay, 151 00:09:20,160 --> 00:09:22,120 Speaker 1: I just want to know, just a fun fact I 152 00:09:22,120 --> 00:09:24,680 Speaker 1: wanted to I wanted to find out about you. And 153 00:09:24,720 --> 00:09:27,840 Speaker 1: the reason it matters whether you're an apple or a pear, 154 00:09:28,000 --> 00:09:31,400 Speaker 1: according to one researcher at you See Berkeley, is that 155 00:09:31,760 --> 00:09:35,240 Speaker 1: fat around the gut is more actively recruited during times 156 00:09:35,240 --> 00:09:38,200 Speaker 1: of energy need, so it's gonna be easier to lose 157 00:09:38,440 --> 00:09:40,920 Speaker 1: than fat on the legs and hips. So if both 158 00:09:40,960 --> 00:09:43,160 Speaker 1: of you are out on a jog together, a side 159 00:09:43,160 --> 00:09:47,400 Speaker 1: by side jog, the lady is pulling her fat from 160 00:09:47,400 --> 00:09:52,480 Speaker 1: her thighs, man is pulling it from his abs. He's 161 00:09:52,520 --> 00:09:57,040 Speaker 1: burning more of it. It's not fair, but also to 162 00:09:57,080 --> 00:10:00,560 Speaker 1: go into as long as we're talking about exercise, because 163 00:10:00,640 --> 00:10:03,280 Speaker 1: men usually way more to start with, they can burn 164 00:10:03,440 --> 00:10:07,720 Speaker 1: more calories in the same same time to run than 165 00:10:07,760 --> 00:10:13,280 Speaker 1: a woman can. Right. Researchers from Syracuse University compared men 166 00:10:13,559 --> 00:10:16,640 Speaker 1: and women walking and running the same distance at the 167 00:10:16,720 --> 00:10:19,840 Speaker 1: same speed okay, to see how many calories they burned, 168 00:10:20,040 --> 00:10:23,800 Speaker 1: and they found that men burned an average of a 169 00:10:23,880 --> 00:10:26,920 Speaker 1: hundred and twenty four calories when we're running and eighty 170 00:10:27,000 --> 00:10:31,160 Speaker 1: eight calories when walking, whereas women who going the same 171 00:10:31,200 --> 00:10:34,400 Speaker 1: distance at the same speed burned in average of a 172 00:10:34,480 --> 00:10:38,920 Speaker 1: hundred and five calories when running and seventy eight calories 173 00:10:39,200 --> 00:10:42,839 Speaker 1: when walking. So it's not an astronomical difference, but it's 174 00:10:42,840 --> 00:10:47,240 Speaker 1: a difference, but it is a difference. So let's talk 175 00:10:47,280 --> 00:10:51,320 Speaker 1: about diet, Kristen. One of our resources for this podcast 176 00:10:51,600 --> 00:10:54,560 Speaker 1: was from the U s d A a piece of 177 00:10:54,600 --> 00:10:58,400 Speaker 1: work called Gender Differences and Body fat Utilization during weight gain, 178 00:10:58,480 --> 00:11:01,520 Speaker 1: loss or maintenance. And another one of the gender differences 179 00:11:01,559 --> 00:11:04,440 Speaker 1: that they pointed out, which I found really interesting, is 180 00:11:04,480 --> 00:11:07,560 Speaker 1: that the type of food being eaten by women is 181 00:11:07,600 --> 00:11:09,679 Speaker 1: more important when it comes to weight loss than it 182 00:11:09,800 --> 00:11:13,600 Speaker 1: is for men. So this is another place where cohabitation, 183 00:11:13,679 --> 00:11:16,560 Speaker 1: for example, can really mess you up if you're a 184 00:11:16,640 --> 00:11:19,960 Speaker 1: lady on a diet. Because according to them, and I 185 00:11:20,000 --> 00:11:21,920 Speaker 1: was kind of surprised by this, I think that, you know, 186 00:11:21,960 --> 00:11:23,160 Speaker 1: this is one of those things you just kind of 187 00:11:23,160 --> 00:11:25,960 Speaker 1: have to find out for yourself what works. The more 188 00:11:26,080 --> 00:11:28,160 Speaker 1: fat women eat, the more likely they are to have 189 00:11:28,200 --> 00:11:31,840 Speaker 1: too much body fat. Whereas the more carbro hydrates women eat, 190 00:11:31,920 --> 00:11:34,760 Speaker 1: the less likely they are to have too much body fat. 191 00:11:34,800 --> 00:11:37,880 Speaker 1: So that seems to suggest a high carb diet. I 192 00:11:37,920 --> 00:11:39,400 Speaker 1: know a lot of women who have had success with 193 00:11:39,480 --> 00:11:43,079 Speaker 1: low carb diet, so that's why I'm sort of caveat there. 194 00:11:43,120 --> 00:11:46,880 Speaker 1: But basically, the way our bodies process these foods, it's 195 00:11:46,960 --> 00:11:49,800 Speaker 1: much different than the way the guys are processing these foods. Yeah, 196 00:11:49,800 --> 00:11:52,839 Speaker 1: it seems like women's bodies might just be more sensitive 197 00:11:52,960 --> 00:11:58,120 Speaker 1: to the macro nutrient ratios as the US D terms it. 198 00:11:58,400 --> 00:12:01,559 Speaker 1: But those kind of you know, fats versus carbs, whatever, 199 00:12:02,200 --> 00:12:05,760 Speaker 1: um than than men. You know, men just might be 200 00:12:05,840 --> 00:12:08,920 Speaker 1: able to they can just eat eat more of what 201 00:12:09,000 --> 00:12:11,360 Speaker 1: they kind of want to eat. I mean, and I 202 00:12:11,400 --> 00:12:14,480 Speaker 1: think we've all seen that in action. Well sure, And 203 00:12:14,480 --> 00:12:16,400 Speaker 1: and and this isn't to say that they can go 204 00:12:16,440 --> 00:12:19,600 Speaker 1: and just eat whatever junk food they want to. They want. 205 00:12:19,720 --> 00:12:22,320 Speaker 1: Men want to go eat and and be fine. No. 206 00:12:22,559 --> 00:12:25,360 Speaker 1: I mean, the the USDA clearly states to eating too 207 00:12:25,360 --> 00:12:28,520 Speaker 1: many calories is going to make anyone become fat. But 208 00:12:28,559 --> 00:12:32,760 Speaker 1: women's bodies are just a little more sensitive to all that. 209 00:12:33,120 --> 00:12:37,359 Speaker 1: And speaking of food and sensitivity to it and sensitivity 210 00:12:37,440 --> 00:12:40,839 Speaker 1: to it, women, as we discussed way back when with 211 00:12:40,920 --> 00:12:47,320 Speaker 1: the food Cravings episode, are more susceptible to giving into 212 00:12:47,320 --> 00:12:50,280 Speaker 1: food cravings. And we've got to talk about this article. 213 00:12:50,320 --> 00:12:53,000 Speaker 1: It was from Time magazine or reports on a study 214 00:12:53,120 --> 00:12:57,880 Speaker 1: done by Dr Jean Jack Wang at Brookhaven National Laboratory, 215 00:12:58,040 --> 00:13:01,000 Speaker 1: and it's about a study that I just I don't know. 216 00:13:01,040 --> 00:13:03,320 Speaker 1: If you could pay me money to be in the study, Kristen, 217 00:13:03,400 --> 00:13:05,800 Speaker 1: I just would have to fail. I would fail to 218 00:13:05,880 --> 00:13:09,120 Speaker 1: study so hard. Yeah. Dr Wayne took a group of 219 00:13:09,880 --> 00:13:14,280 Speaker 1: male and female volunteers, all of whom were in they 220 00:13:14,320 --> 00:13:17,640 Speaker 1: were in good health, um average weight, average weight, yeah, 221 00:13:17,679 --> 00:13:23,480 Speaker 1: and they told them first to fast for seventeen hours 222 00:13:23,640 --> 00:13:27,880 Speaker 1: failure point number one for Molly. Yeah. So they're fasting 223 00:13:27,920 --> 00:13:32,559 Speaker 1: for seventeen hours, okay. And while they're fasting, the researchers 224 00:13:32,920 --> 00:13:36,520 Speaker 1: interviewed them about their favorite foods and had them rank 225 00:13:37,160 --> 00:13:40,319 Speaker 1: each of their favorite foods on a one to ten 226 00:13:40,480 --> 00:13:45,640 Speaker 1: scale to find out they're absolute. The heal in terms 227 00:13:45,679 --> 00:13:52,040 Speaker 1: of food was um and so then um. Then when 228 00:13:52,040 --> 00:13:55,480 Speaker 1: the seventeen hours of fasting, we're up. The volunteers were 229 00:13:55,520 --> 00:13:59,880 Speaker 1: then placed in a pet scanner and we're then present 230 00:14:00,040 --> 00:14:04,040 Speaker 1: did with the food they craved, so that the researchers 231 00:14:04,040 --> 00:14:08,080 Speaker 1: could see how their brains reacted in the presence of 232 00:14:08,120 --> 00:14:10,800 Speaker 1: this food, because not only are they being presented with 233 00:14:10,880 --> 00:14:13,920 Speaker 1: this this food that they adore, but it's after seventeen 234 00:14:13,960 --> 00:14:16,560 Speaker 1: hours of fasting. After seventeen hours and it's not just 235 00:14:16,640 --> 00:14:20,200 Speaker 1: like you know, they're holding a plate of unappetizing like 236 00:14:20,280 --> 00:14:23,880 Speaker 1: tacos in front of you. They're saying, oh, here are 237 00:14:23,880 --> 00:14:27,680 Speaker 1: these tacos, and we we made this guacamole fresh, and 238 00:14:28,800 --> 00:14:31,840 Speaker 1: that this pico we flew in straight from Mexico. It's 239 00:14:31,880 --> 00:14:34,840 Speaker 1: the best pico to gayo in the world. And uh, 240 00:14:34,880 --> 00:14:37,000 Speaker 1: if it had a smell like say you said that 241 00:14:37,040 --> 00:14:40,400 Speaker 1: you loved ribs, you can smell that barbecue sauce. Yeah. 242 00:14:40,400 --> 00:14:44,160 Speaker 1: They actually warmed the food in microwaves to to get 243 00:14:44,200 --> 00:14:47,760 Speaker 1: a wafting wafting scent of the food, so they couldn't 244 00:14:47,800 --> 00:14:50,560 Speaker 1: They couldn't even avoid the smell. And just to make 245 00:14:50,640 --> 00:14:55,119 Speaker 1: matters worse, they gave I thought this was the cruelest 246 00:14:55,160 --> 00:14:58,600 Speaker 1: part of the study because people still haven't eaten, and 247 00:14:58,640 --> 00:15:03,040 Speaker 1: the researchers gave them a cotton ball with a bit 248 00:15:03,200 --> 00:15:06,280 Speaker 1: of their favorite food on it, just for the tiniest taste, 249 00:15:07,120 --> 00:15:11,960 Speaker 1: just just a tiny piece of that greasy taco me 250 00:15:12,120 --> 00:15:15,400 Speaker 1: that you still desire. So they can see the people's 251 00:15:15,440 --> 00:15:18,600 Speaker 1: brains in these pet scanners just going crazy. Yeah, they 252 00:15:18,600 --> 00:15:22,000 Speaker 1: people want the food. Um, you know it is time 253 00:15:22,080 --> 00:15:25,080 Speaker 1: to eat. And then here's where it gets awful. Dr 254 00:15:25,160 --> 00:15:28,440 Speaker 1: Wayne says, you know what, you need to think about 255 00:15:28,480 --> 00:15:31,960 Speaker 1: something else. You can't have this food for the next 256 00:15:32,000 --> 00:15:35,200 Speaker 1: forty minutes. I'm gonna keep this food right here. You're 257 00:15:35,200 --> 00:15:38,120 Speaker 1: gonna look at it and uh, you can smell it, 258 00:15:38,480 --> 00:15:40,720 Speaker 1: but you can't have it think about something else. And 259 00:15:40,720 --> 00:15:42,520 Speaker 1: they had to keep their eyes open. They couldn't just 260 00:15:42,680 --> 00:15:47,040 Speaker 1: close and close it off. Failure point number two for myself. 261 00:15:47,800 --> 00:15:50,360 Speaker 1: And so what they did find was that these people 262 00:15:51,200 --> 00:15:55,840 Speaker 1: were able to actually lower their feelings of hunger. Um. 263 00:15:55,880 --> 00:15:57,800 Speaker 1: It was like their brains would get used to that 264 00:15:57,880 --> 00:16:01,800 Speaker 1: feeling of being hungry for seven hours, and they could 265 00:16:01,840 --> 00:16:04,400 Speaker 1: sort of desensitize themselves from the fact that they had, 266 00:16:04,880 --> 00:16:09,240 Speaker 1: you know, cotton balls with barbecue sauce so nearby. But 267 00:16:09,280 --> 00:16:13,440 Speaker 1: what they found was that the women would think about 268 00:16:13,440 --> 00:16:16,440 Speaker 1: the food much more than the men, who could really 269 00:16:16,720 --> 00:16:20,720 Speaker 1: suppress these desires for their favorite foods. Yeah, the way 270 00:16:20,720 --> 00:16:25,120 Speaker 1: Time described it was that the women continued having emotional 271 00:16:25,640 --> 00:16:30,280 Speaker 1: cravings for the food even if their hunger had gone away, 272 00:16:30,320 --> 00:16:32,320 Speaker 1: whereas the guys were able to just kind of shut 273 00:16:32,400 --> 00:16:35,600 Speaker 1: it off. And that's something that we we kind of 274 00:16:35,680 --> 00:16:40,880 Speaker 1: highlighted in that that Food Cravings episode where um, women 275 00:16:40,920 --> 00:16:45,400 Speaker 1: do have a much more uh kind of emotional I 276 00:16:45,400 --> 00:16:48,120 Speaker 1: guess attachment to food in that way, like our our 277 00:16:48,200 --> 00:16:52,200 Speaker 1: Amygdalah's get involved a lot this you know, are very 278 00:16:52,240 --> 00:16:57,160 Speaker 1: like energetic center, a little pocket of our brain um 279 00:16:57,240 --> 00:16:59,840 Speaker 1: that gets really upset if we can't have this food 280 00:17:00,040 --> 00:17:04,919 Speaker 1: that we're craving. UM. So Dr Wang saw similar results 281 00:17:04,960 --> 00:17:09,200 Speaker 1: in this pet Scanner study. That also indicates that yeah, 282 00:17:09,200 --> 00:17:12,000 Speaker 1: if if if you're if you're dieting with your husband 283 00:17:12,080 --> 00:17:14,800 Speaker 1: or your boyfriend, like there's a decent chance he's going 284 00:17:14,840 --> 00:17:18,320 Speaker 1: to have an easier time sticking to that than you might. Yeah, 285 00:17:18,400 --> 00:17:21,520 Speaker 1: because I know that once I started thinking about tacos, 286 00:17:21,560 --> 00:17:24,760 Speaker 1: which I am now thanks to this podcast, it's it's 287 00:17:24,760 --> 00:17:27,119 Speaker 1: gonna be a long day. Yeah, well day nick me 288 00:17:27,119 --> 00:17:30,480 Speaker 1: about taco And then again, you know, there are individual differences. 289 00:17:30,560 --> 00:17:34,480 Speaker 1: Some people are just you know, have amazing wellpower when 290 00:17:34,520 --> 00:17:37,120 Speaker 1: it comes to those sorts of things. But I mean, 291 00:17:37,200 --> 00:17:41,360 Speaker 1: if we're just talking in gender generalizations, which we specialize 292 00:17:41,359 --> 00:17:46,320 Speaker 1: in which we do. Uh yeah, women, we we we 293 00:17:46,440 --> 00:17:50,000 Speaker 1: got a hard road this. But I mean, you know 294 00:17:50,840 --> 00:17:53,640 Speaker 1: one thing, if Kristen I can't tie it back to hormones, 295 00:17:53,680 --> 00:17:56,560 Speaker 1: we like to tie it back to evolution. And there 296 00:17:56,680 --> 00:18:00,160 Speaker 1: is some evidence that it was because we need did 297 00:18:00,200 --> 00:18:02,640 Speaker 1: to be nice and hearty for when there were times 298 00:18:02,640 --> 00:18:06,440 Speaker 1: of starvation in our past. Now as if we haven't 299 00:18:06,440 --> 00:18:10,359 Speaker 1: discouraged women enough molly against any sort of weight loss 300 00:18:10,440 --> 00:18:20,359 Speaker 1: plans or goals, aspirations, etcetera. Here's the final kicker, ladies, Um, 301 00:18:20,440 --> 00:18:24,960 Speaker 1: we gain weight over our lifetimes about twenty years longer 302 00:18:25,040 --> 00:18:29,640 Speaker 1: than men anyway. And uh and men. This is according 303 00:18:29,680 --> 00:18:33,240 Speaker 1: to a health overview in the New York Times, men's 304 00:18:33,240 --> 00:18:36,800 Speaker 1: b m i's tend to increase until they're fifty and 305 00:18:36,840 --> 00:18:38,720 Speaker 1: then it kind of levels off. Their weight sort of 306 00:18:38,760 --> 00:18:43,560 Speaker 1: plateaus now and women our b m I tends to 307 00:18:43,640 --> 00:18:47,920 Speaker 1: increase until seventy, so it is one reason to look 308 00:18:48,080 --> 00:18:52,080 Speaker 1: forward to getting older. Until we had seven d your 309 00:18:52,119 --> 00:18:54,480 Speaker 1: weight will level off and then wed, your weight is 310 00:18:54,600 --> 00:18:57,120 Speaker 1: leveling off this year. Yeah, we can eat what we want. 311 00:18:57,440 --> 00:19:00,280 Speaker 1: And not only that, we also have three ad your 312 00:19:00,359 --> 00:19:04,159 Speaker 1: risk periods and risks I say risk and with air quotes. 313 00:19:05,440 --> 00:19:08,359 Speaker 1: She just needed air quotes. Risk periods for weight gain 314 00:19:09,040 --> 00:19:12,200 Speaker 1: um according to the New York Times, which the first 315 00:19:12,240 --> 00:19:16,880 Speaker 1: one is the onset of menstruation, and then we have 316 00:19:17,640 --> 00:19:22,800 Speaker 1: after pregnancy and then right after menopause. So every milestone 317 00:19:22,800 --> 00:19:26,119 Speaker 1: our woman's life you can can you eagerly away to 318 00:19:26,160 --> 00:19:29,280 Speaker 1: weight gain. We celebrate it with adding adding more pounds. 319 00:19:29,600 --> 00:19:32,960 Speaker 1: Men don't have these kind of high risk periods in 320 00:19:33,000 --> 00:19:37,000 Speaker 1: their lives like we do. So, uh, what what is 321 00:19:37,040 --> 00:19:39,000 Speaker 1: all this to say, Molly? Should we just throw our 322 00:19:39,000 --> 00:19:42,320 Speaker 1: hands up and stop, um, you know, fretting so much 323 00:19:42,359 --> 00:19:45,800 Speaker 1: over our bodies and just given to these high risk 324 00:19:46,200 --> 00:19:51,200 Speaker 1: periods in our lives and wait for seventy wait for seventy. Um, 325 00:19:51,240 --> 00:19:52,880 Speaker 1: that's for me. The title of my new book. Wait, 326 00:19:52,920 --> 00:19:55,960 Speaker 1: it's seventy. Um no, I think that you know, the 327 00:19:55,960 --> 00:19:57,919 Speaker 1: whole reason we want to do this podcast was just 328 00:19:58,080 --> 00:20:01,680 Speaker 1: to show women that you can't come pare yourself to others. 329 00:20:01,760 --> 00:20:04,320 Speaker 1: And you know this, it really speaks to all sorts 330 00:20:04,320 --> 00:20:06,479 Speaker 1: of comparisons you can make. We've talked before about not 331 00:20:06,520 --> 00:20:09,760 Speaker 1: comparing yourself to women in magazines because they've been airbrushed, 332 00:20:10,160 --> 00:20:12,199 Speaker 1: and now you can't compare yourself to the men you know, 333 00:20:12,359 --> 00:20:14,560 Speaker 1: and don't compare yourself. So let me you know, because 334 00:20:14,600 --> 00:20:17,600 Speaker 1: as we're talking about being in the podcast, maybe those 335 00:20:17,600 --> 00:20:19,879 Speaker 1: women have different genes that are acting in different ways 336 00:20:19,920 --> 00:20:23,359 Speaker 1: and we don't even know about yet, so different maternal 337 00:20:23,520 --> 00:20:28,200 Speaker 1: diets exactly. You can just walk around and blame your mother. Well, 338 00:20:28,240 --> 00:20:30,240 Speaker 1: but here here's one thing though that we need to 339 00:20:30,280 --> 00:20:32,440 Speaker 1: take a queue that we need to take from men 340 00:20:32,520 --> 00:20:36,720 Speaker 1: in terms of weight and perception and all of this. 341 00:20:37,280 --> 00:20:41,040 Speaker 1: All right, there was a study from Harvard about how 342 00:20:41,200 --> 00:20:44,720 Speaker 1: men and women judge their own body weights and it found, 343 00:20:44,720 --> 00:20:49,159 Speaker 1: not surprisingly that women are a lot harsher on themselves 344 00:20:49,160 --> 00:20:51,760 Speaker 1: in terms of how they how they view their body 345 00:20:51,840 --> 00:20:56,920 Speaker 1: in terms of whether they're overweight or average. Right, Um, 346 00:20:57,000 --> 00:21:02,240 Speaker 1: we actually have a more accurate perception of our own weight, 347 00:21:02,560 --> 00:21:06,360 Speaker 1: whereas men just kind of tend to think that there 348 00:21:06,400 --> 00:21:11,760 Speaker 1: they look fine, whether they're overweight or are not. Um 349 00:21:11,840 --> 00:21:15,400 Speaker 1: And I think it's kind of interesting that that men 350 00:21:15,440 --> 00:21:19,879 Speaker 1: are just kind of all together, kind of happy, go 351 00:21:20,040 --> 00:21:23,400 Speaker 1: lucky in terms of their own bodies. Well, I think 352 00:21:23,400 --> 00:21:25,439 Speaker 1: it speaks to confidence. And I think that that's a 353 00:21:25,480 --> 00:21:27,919 Speaker 1: factor that a lot of women, right. And you know, 354 00:21:28,320 --> 00:21:30,639 Speaker 1: the point of the podcast was not to say, you know, 355 00:21:30,720 --> 00:21:33,840 Speaker 1: you can't control this. Eat whatever you want, don't exercise whatever. 356 00:21:34,240 --> 00:21:39,280 Speaker 1: We're all for healthy exercise, a healthy diet that and 357 00:21:39,320 --> 00:21:41,520 Speaker 1: you know you can indulge in moderation and love in 358 00:21:41,600 --> 00:21:44,879 Speaker 1: the skin you're in. Exactly. It's it's our three step, 359 00:21:45,400 --> 00:21:48,359 Speaker 1: three step plan. I'm sure no one has thought of 360 00:21:48,400 --> 00:21:52,760 Speaker 1: these three steps before. But just again, don't compare yourself 361 00:21:52,800 --> 00:21:56,800 Speaker 1: to other people. It leads to no good. And well 362 00:21:56,840 --> 00:21:59,360 Speaker 1: it might sound like that, you know, the last fifteen 363 00:21:59,400 --> 00:22:02,400 Speaker 1: minutes or so was just a laundry list of of 364 00:22:02,480 --> 00:22:05,919 Speaker 1: negative bullet points about being a woman and trying to 365 00:22:05,960 --> 00:22:09,639 Speaker 1: maintain a healthy weight. The point is, you know, to 366 00:22:10,359 --> 00:22:12,440 Speaker 1: as a you know, as a woman and as a guy, 367 00:22:12,640 --> 00:22:16,800 Speaker 1: as anybody, Uh, to arm yourself with with this kind 368 00:22:16,840 --> 00:22:21,040 Speaker 1: of knowledge. So if you can be realistic about your expectations, 369 00:22:21,840 --> 00:22:27,119 Speaker 1: uh for losing weight and being healthy and um, you 370 00:22:27,160 --> 00:22:30,800 Speaker 1: know how fast you can expect those kind of changes 371 00:22:31,119 --> 00:22:33,720 Speaker 1: to occur. And for women, you know what, it might 372 00:22:33,760 --> 00:22:37,480 Speaker 1: just take us a little bit longer. And that's okay exactly, 373 00:22:37,640 --> 00:22:39,960 Speaker 1: So there you go. Well on that note, shall we 374 00:22:40,000 --> 00:22:42,359 Speaker 1: read some mail from our listeners. I would love to. 375 00:22:46,600 --> 00:22:49,000 Speaker 1: I have one here from Chelsea and it's about our 376 00:22:49,800 --> 00:22:53,159 Speaker 1: episode entitled why Don't Boys Play the Harp which was 377 00:22:53,200 --> 00:22:56,800 Speaker 1: about musical instruments and gender and Chelsea rights. I've been 378 00:22:56,800 --> 00:22:59,400 Speaker 1: playing the trumpet since I was ten. In grade five, 379 00:22:59,400 --> 00:23:01,040 Speaker 1: when the school took us on a field trip to 380 00:23:01,040 --> 00:23:02,919 Speaker 1: the middle school most of us would be attending. We 381 00:23:02,960 --> 00:23:06,240 Speaker 1: got to choose our instruments for band. I tried every instrument, 382 00:23:06,240 --> 00:23:08,320 Speaker 1: but like trumpet the best. I didn't think it was 383 00:23:08,320 --> 00:23:10,080 Speaker 1: a big deal until we got back to school and 384 00:23:10,119 --> 00:23:12,800 Speaker 1: my music teacher told me that the trumpet is too 385 00:23:12,840 --> 00:23:15,280 Speaker 1: difficult for girls to play and that I should try 386 00:23:15,320 --> 00:23:17,399 Speaker 1: the flute. The next year and band I got the 387 00:23:17,480 --> 00:23:19,359 Speaker 1: highest grade in the class. The year after that, I 388 00:23:19,359 --> 00:23:21,439 Speaker 1: got asked to join the senior jazz band and played 389 00:23:21,680 --> 00:23:24,040 Speaker 1: just about every solo and band class with the trumpet. 390 00:23:24,440 --> 00:23:26,920 Speaker 1: My former music teacher was shocked that I did sit well. 391 00:23:27,080 --> 00:23:29,119 Speaker 1: I never told her. Yes, it was a woman who 392 00:23:29,200 --> 00:23:31,080 Speaker 1: told me that that she was the reason that I 393 00:23:31,119 --> 00:23:34,120 Speaker 1: practiced every day for two hours after school. My male 394 00:23:34,160 --> 00:23:36,680 Speaker 1: trumpet counterparts over the years haven't been very excited over 395 00:23:36,720 --> 00:23:38,560 Speaker 1: the fact that I can play music that they can't, 396 00:23:38,800 --> 00:23:41,119 Speaker 1: but that just gave me more reason to improve. I 397 00:23:41,200 --> 00:23:44,320 Speaker 1: joined both Junior Jazz band and Senior Jazz band, concert band, 398 00:23:44,320 --> 00:23:46,840 Speaker 1: and played in the pit band for our school's musical productions. 399 00:23:47,240 --> 00:23:49,159 Speaker 1: I'm eighteen now, and although I haven't picked up my 400 00:23:49,160 --> 00:23:51,360 Speaker 1: horse since I graduated this year, is still feels good 401 00:23:51,359 --> 00:23:53,399 Speaker 1: to know that I beat that stereotype and all the 402 00:23:53,440 --> 00:23:57,680 Speaker 1: people who didn't believe in me way to go well. 403 00:23:57,680 --> 00:24:01,000 Speaker 1: I got an email here also about our episode on 404 00:24:01,119 --> 00:24:05,159 Speaker 1: why Don't Boys Play the harp? And it is from Michael, 405 00:24:05,200 --> 00:24:08,160 Speaker 1: who is twelve years old and he is a seventh 406 00:24:08,160 --> 00:24:11,640 Speaker 1: grader in Kenya. He said, I'm in the advanced band 407 00:24:11,640 --> 00:24:13,200 Speaker 1: in my school, and I've noticed a lot of the 408 00:24:13,280 --> 00:24:15,679 Speaker 1: stuff you guys said was true. I'm sure if I 409 00:24:15,720 --> 00:24:18,560 Speaker 1: decided to play the flute. My friends would never talk 410 00:24:18,600 --> 00:24:21,760 Speaker 1: to me again. One thing different here is that both 411 00:24:21,800 --> 00:24:24,879 Speaker 1: guys and girls almost equally play the clarinet in my band, 412 00:24:25,119 --> 00:24:27,920 Speaker 1: seven guys to seven girls, to be exact. I wanted 413 00:24:27,960 --> 00:24:32,120 Speaker 1: to mention this because Kristen, I think, made a comment 414 00:24:32,280 --> 00:24:35,920 Speaker 1: about just giving a girl a clarinet, and I thought 415 00:24:35,960 --> 00:24:39,960 Speaker 1: I'd just say that those stereotypes aren't always true, as 416 00:24:40,040 --> 00:24:43,919 Speaker 1: with most stereotypes, Michael um So, thanks so much for 417 00:24:43,960 --> 00:24:46,760 Speaker 1: the emails. Keep him coming mom Stuff at how stuff 418 00:24:46,800 --> 00:24:51,040 Speaker 1: works dot com. And of course you can always friend 419 00:24:51,119 --> 00:24:53,440 Speaker 1: us on Facebook or fan us. I guess I should 420 00:24:53,440 --> 00:24:58,040 Speaker 1: say us or like us. Just do whatever on Facebook. 421 00:24:58,080 --> 00:25:01,160 Speaker 1: Do something with us on Facebook, please um And then 422 00:25:01,200 --> 00:25:04,719 Speaker 1: you can follow us on Twitter It's mom Stuff podcast. 423 00:25:05,240 --> 00:25:08,000 Speaker 1: And then finally you can read our blog during the 424 00:25:08,000 --> 00:25:10,760 Speaker 1: week It's stuff mon Never told you and it's how 425 00:25:10,880 --> 00:25:16,440 Speaker 1: stuff works dot com. For more on this and thousands 426 00:25:16,480 --> 00:25:20,199 Speaker 1: of other topics. Is it how stuff works dot com. 427 00:25:20,400 --> 00:25:23,119 Speaker 1: Want more how stuff works, check out our blogs on 428 00:25:23,280 --> 00:25:30,119 Speaker 1: the house stuff works dot com home page. Brought to 429 00:25:30,119 --> 00:25:33,240 Speaker 1: you by the reinvented two thousand twelve camera. It's ready, 430 00:25:33,440 --> 00:25:33,880 Speaker 1: are you